Since his 1984 debut on Sesame Street, the furry red monster has stolen millions of tiny tots' hearts (not to mention perhaps an equivalent number of adults'). In 1996, at the height of his popularity, a Tickle Me Elmo doll quickly became the year's must-have accessory — parents went berserk trying to find the hard-to-get toys in department stores. What even Elmo's most fervent fans might not know is that the Muppet appeared on the show as a background character named Baby Monster in the 1970s. Puppeteer Kevin Clash first voiced Elmo in 1985. He plays the character to this day.